Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while presiding over the 4th Annual Conference of the Himachal Pradesh State Chapter of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India (AOMSI) here today announced to rename Dental College Shimla as Rajiv Gandhi Dental College, Shimla. He also announced that a Dental Health Research Centre would be established in Hamirpur at a cost of Rs. 300 crore.
He said the new research centre would create employment opportunities and provide people with better and more advanced dental treatment facilities. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that oral and maxillofacial surgeons play a vital role not only in treating patients but also in restoring their confidence and improving their quality of life.
He said that the conference would prove to be an important step towards improving healthcare services for the people. Shri Sukhu said the state government was bringing major improvements to the healthcare sector and these efforts were already showing positive results.
He said that only a few years ago it would have been difficult to imagine government hospitals in Himachal offering advanced facilities such as robotic surgery and 3-Tesla MRI technology. The government was now working to introduce modern medical technology and advanced healthcare facilities in all medical colleges as well as district hospitals, so that people could receive high-quality and affordable treatment closer to their homes without having to travel to other states.
He said the government had held detailed discussions with doctors across the state and had taken several important steps to strengthen the healthcare sector. A similar programme would also be organised with dental doctors to further improve dental colleges and ensure that people had access to modern, high-quality dental care.
The Chief Minister said that doctors who studied in Shimla were making the state proud by serving with distinction across India and abroad. He said that doctors from the state were highly talented and capable and making an important contribution to improving healthcare services through the use of modern technology.
MLA Suresh Kumar, Congress leader Pawan Thakur, Kailash Federation Chairman Baldev Thakur, Principal Dental College Shimla Dr. Yogesh Bhardwaj, AOMSI National President Dr. Ashish Gupta, AOMSI, Himachal Chapter Dr. Rangeela Ram and other distinguished guests were present on the occasion.